Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-23
EXTREMELY COLD.
People out West Freezing to
Death.
Want Of Proper Fuel Causes Great Suf-
iefins.
Reports from Many Unfortunate From
tierSmen.

town of Horace, about seven miles distant
and succeeded in getting two hundred pounds
of coal On going home he found his sister
nearly perished and she died shortly after
ward.
A farmer named johnson was found neal
his house in Greedy county last Tuesday
fIe was out looking for fuel and perished
There are also reported cases of great suffer.
ing in Clark county, on the Indian Territory
line.
The condition of the people in the western
and southwestern plain is very bad. This
part of the State has only been recently set.
tied.
LINCOLN, Neb. Dec. %.
1t is believed that reports of a blizzard
sweeping over Western Nebraska will show
that number of lives were lost in the storm.
Owing to the distance from the railroad the
facts cannot be known for several days.
In the recently organized county of Per-
kins two deaths are reported. They were
attempting to make their way to ranch 20
miles from Ocollala, when the storm over
powered them.
Another man who had been on railroad
construction work on the Black Hills was
found dead mile from his camp.
DENVER, Col. Dec. 90.
ut Ioii "d't az DShNSi as VA Sohipdi a
lively short duration and the temperature
not excessively low for any length of time,
but in the mountains the extreme of intense
cold has been reached For week before
the cold wave crossed the range it was in
tensely cold in western Colorado. The mer-
curry reached points recorded IS and 40 be-
low zero and high attitudes made some aston
ishing records, Tuesday night. Rio Grande
reports some of the most bitter weather ever
recorded.
A Topeka dispatch says: In regard to the
state of affairs in Kansas where the blizzard
has been raging, Col. NJ. Singg, general
manager of Atchison's coal business said to-
day:
''In the last three years there has been
constructed about three thousand miles of
railroad track in Kansas. Every mile re-
quires certain amount of coal for operation.
| believe that scarcely mile of the new
construction passed coal field or in any
degree contributed by production or other
wise to the coal supply. On the line of
these newly constructed roads hundreds of
towns have been built-towns occupied by
thousands of people from abroad Mills and
factories have been established, every one of
which requires the consumption of a certain
amount of fuel, and not one contributes in
any way to its production. At the present
time there are no statistics attainable to cor
rectly show the increase of population in
Western Kansas. During the present year
the increase has been enormous, much be-
yond anything in the past history of that por-
ton of the State. Generally in years past
Kansas was favored with bountiful corn
crops this in many cases was used as a sub
stitute for coal. This yearcorn is almost an
entire failure. Our company began early
last summer to take all possible steps to in
crease the output of coal and to accomplish
this many miles of road had to be construct
ed and mining machinery purchased and
erected
Unusual delays had been encountered, not
withstanding which, the Atchison Company
increased the production 80 per cent. in the
first ten months of the present year This is
a very large increase when the magnitude is
considered 1t is still insufficient to meet
the largely increased demand The first
cold wind of last month brought a host of
unsupplied people to the coal producers in
bunch, all demanding that the fuel be fur
nished at once. The coal producers were
unable to supply such large and sudden de-
mand Nor could the railroads be expected
to furnish on such short notice equipments
sufficient to move it even if it could have
been produced
Col Qugg says he hopes for an improve
ment in the situation the coming week.
Weather continues to moderate in Kansas.
Today the thermometer registered % degrees
above and is slowly rising. Encouraging re-
ports from the West remove the impression
of the extreme suffering in Kansas from
lack of food and fuel.
Undoubtedly there has been isolated cases
of death from exposure, and instances of
individual suffering from scarcity of provis-
ions and coal. No doubt the condition of
affairs was greatly exaggerated and misre-
presented by irresponsible persons dis
patch tonight from Arkansas City, near the
Indian Territory line, says that less than one
inch of snow fell there. There is no suffer
ing whatever and the people of Arkansas
CITY will be glad to send presents to their
Eastern friends if they later on make known
their individual necessities.
A dispatch to the Associated Press from
Hutchinson, in the south central portion of
the State, tonight, says the only effect of the
cold snap there has been to stop work on the
many buildings being erected. There is
plenty of coal there and has been no scarcity
this season.
Specials to the News from points within a
radius of one hundred miles indicate that
there is no unusual suffering from the cold
weather.
GARDEN CRY, Dec. %.
In conversation with representatives from
eleven counties in southwest Kansas, the
Sentinel today learned that in those counties
there has been no more suffering from the
cold than is usually experienced by people
provided against such emergencies by cloth
ing. foed and fuel No deaths are reported
from the cold The people are well provid-
en- with food and fuel and the coal famine
ended two weeks ago.
The Sentinel has correspondents in twelve
counties from whom it hears regularly and
can state au,horitatively in the counties of
Scott. Greeley, Hamilton, kearney, Finney
Haskell, Grant, Stanton, Morton, Stevens,
Seward Gray. Garfield, that there is no
more sutferingthan usual.
GALVESTON, Tex, Dec. %.
Freezing weather has prevailed all day
and the city is covered with ice. The freez'
ing line eztends some distance into Mexico.
Very cold weather prevails throughout the
great cattle districts of Texas. The ther-
rnometer at Fort Elliott,6 above this A. NJ
the same degree of coldness At Fort Davis
100 miles southeast of Ell Paso. The cattle
country lies between these points.
At San Antonio, 26 above. Cattle are
suffering terrible exposure. A heavy siee'
is falling tonight.
WICHITA, Ran, Dec. %
Additional details of the results of the
blizzard today prove that they have been the
worst ever known in the State. The number
of deaths by freezing and starvation Is be-
lieved to be about so. A few of the resi-
dents in the eastern part of the State who
really thought no alarming state OF AFFAIR."
existed, are now most literally responding te
the call for aid.